IRRESPONSIBILITY IN EDITH WH
ARTON’S
THE AGE OF
INNOCENCE NOVEL (1920) :
A PSYCHOANALYTIC APPROACH
PUBLICATION ARTICLES
by
ERIGA ARIYANTO A320110109
IRRESPONSIBILITY IN EDITH WH
ARTON’S
THE AGE OF
INNOCENCE NOVEL (1920) :
A PSYCHOANALYTIC APPROACH
Eriga Ariyanto A320110109
Department of English Education School of Teacher Training and Education
Muhammadiyah University of Surakarta Email: erigaa10@gmail.com
ABSTRACT
This Study is about Irresponsibility in Edith Wharton’s The Age of Innocence novel (1920) which is analyzed by using psychoanalytic approach. The objectives of the research paper is to analyze the novel based on psychoanalytic approach by Sigmud Freud. This research paper appertain to descriptive qualitative research. Data of the research paper are divided into two part, primary data and secondary data. The primary data of the research is The Age of Innoence novel by author Edith Wharton in 1920. While secondary data of the research are other materials taken from some books, author biographies, virtual refference about The age of Innocence novel to support the analysis. The method to analyze of this data is descriptive analysis. The researcher describes two discussions in his research. The first, based on structural analysis it shows that Newland Archer delivers moral message in The Age of Innocence. The second, based on psychoanalytic approach analysis it shows that in The Age of Innocence novel Newland Archer illustrates psychological phenomena in which in individual is irresponsible at the beginning story. Then, when the story will over he becomes responsible.
A. Introduction
character, because moral is reflected by character. Character is the element
of novel and morals is characterization of the character. Characters of the
story are the person which are there is in a narrative novel. Moral is very
basic description of the character in the some novel. Moral has mean
attitude and habits. The readers can understand their morals by identifying
their utterance, expression, and what the characters do.
Morals is one of the basic element of literature. Morals is basic
right. Moral responsibility is even more important in our lives and in how
we think of ourselves. According to Lucas (1995: 34), responsibility is
described about moral of answerability, which the obligation to answer the
question. He also states that about negative responsibility or
irresponsibillity. Moral responsibility has relationship with moral
irresponsibility
Moral irresponsibility as failure to respond to the goodness of
persons (Brian Lewis, 2013: 17). This attitude has harmed other people in
the society or in their environment.Because, this attitude does not receive
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what they have gotten. This also can be done because of someone’s selfishness. Using psychoanalytic theory someone to know about moral
responsible and irresponsible of characters in the novel story.
Then, we must know about theory of psychoanalytic and who
introduces the theory of psychoanalytic. Sigmund Freud is known as the
first man who introduces the theory of psychoanalytic theory in 1856. The
most influential theories in the field was of personality has been Sigmund
Freud (1856-1939). He conceived the first comprehensive theory of
personality and after nearly a century, his theory remains the most detailed
and original yet formulated. Bootzin (1986: 454). According to Gilmer
(1948:60), psychoanalytic theory sees the working of our instincts and
emotions as a product of the dynamic interaction between our instincts and
the counter forces set up by the external environment. And the researcher
will be analysis novel of Edith Wharton’s The Age of Innocence. The next paragraph will be explain about The Age of Innocence and the story The age of Innocence.
The Age of Innocence is Edith Warton's novel. The novel is consist of two section, book one and book two. In the book one is divided to
eighteen chapter. Then in the book two is divided to sixteen chapter. The
novel is about triangle love story. The story is set in upper-class New York
City in the 1870s. The novel story is very interesting to reader. There are a
little summary of story The age ofInnocence. The story began by Newland Archer is a young man, popular, successful lawyer living with his mother
and sister in an elegant New York City house. Newland Archer will be
engaged with May Welland is one of rich families, scarred and beautiful.
Newland Archer’s life become different when he meets Countess Ellen
Olenska, she is May Welland sister. He meets Countess Ellen Olenska at
New York City's fashionable Academy of Music. Through his relationship
with her, then his love begins with Countess Ellen Olenska and he always
There are three reasons why the researcher is interested in studying
this novel. The first is The Age of Innocence has an interesting story. The story tells about centers on an upper-class couple's impending marriage,
and the introduction of a woman plagued by scandal whose presence
threatens their happiness. The second novel is one of literary review that
tells story, characteristics, sequence of events of human life. Novel also
gives emotional feeling to the reader and everyone who read. The third
about moral conflicts in this novel. Not a few moral messages conveyed in
this story. From the novel story is not only conveyed the messages about
the deep story, but also conceyed about description irresponsibility in the
novel The Age of Innocence. In particular, irresponsibility of main character in the novel of The Age of Innocence, he is Newland archer, because he is irresponsible with his marriage. He does not give a
happiness to May Welland. Whereas May Welland is Newland Archer’s
wife. He is disappoint by May Welland. In their marriage, Newland
Archer is dishonest. He falls in love with Ellen Olenska. Although May
Welland knows about it, she has still faithful.
From above the explaination, the researcher is really interested in
4 B.Research Method
This study belongs to qualitative method (Denzin and Lincoln, 2005: 3).
In this method, devided to two types of data source, primary data and
secondary data source. The primary data source is the novel itself, meanwhile
the secondary data sources are other materials to support the study. Both data
are collected through library research (Denzin and Lincoln, 2005: 3).
In collecting data, the researcher will takes some steps as follow:
reading the novel until know, taking notes for important primary data and
secondary data source, arranging the data into several groups based on its
theoretical category, selecting particular parts considered important and
relevant for analysis, drawing conclusion and discussion.
In analyzing the data, the researcher applies a descriptive approach
(Denzin and Lincoln, 2005: 11). The rsearcher analyzes the data based on
psychoanalytic approach. Focus on the meaning of irresponsibility reflected
in Newland Archer’s The Age of Innocence novel.
C.Research Findings and Discussion 1.Findings
In analyzing irresponsibility in Newland Archer’s The Age of Innocence novel, the researcher gets two findings that first contain in structure of personality devided to id, ego, and superego. Second contain in irresponsibility.
a. Structure of Personality
The id, ego and superego will be used to analyze Newland
Archer’s structure of personality. The three elements take a big role in
developing the idea of Newland Archer’s mind. The id is ambition of Newland Archer to marry by May Welland (his fiance), but he also fall in
love with Ellen Olenska (May’s sister). The ego is divided to be two parts namely: the first, Newland Archer to marry by May Welland, but
married with May Welland, he also fall in love and dishonest with Ellen
Olenska. Many reasons that caused him unpleased with his condition. The
superego when Newland Archer will to go on a long trip, suddenly May Welland told to Newland archer if her pregnant, then since that time
Newland Archer knows his wife is very faithful.
1) Id
The id Newland Archer emerges when Newland Archer’s ego is happening. The first Newland Archer is felt disturbed by Ellen Olenska
(May sister) when he will marry with May Welland. Because, Ellen will
divorce with her husband (Countess Olenska). And at that time in New
York city divorce is unacceptable. Newland Archer as the lawyer, he save
the Welland family's reputation. A law partner of Newland asks him to
dissuade Countess Olenska from divorcing cases. He succeeds, but in the
process to save her from divorce case, he afraid of falling in love with Welland (his wife) to go together with Ellen Olenska.The dinner is over,
Newland and May go to the library. Newland starts to confess once again,
but says instead that he needs to go on a long trip because he is very tired.
May explains that the doctor might not let her go along, and she reveals
that she has already told both her mother and mother-in-law that she is
pregnant. It dawns on Newland that the conversation she had with Ellen
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as she asks if he minds. In questioning her, he finds that she told Ellen this
news long before she was sure.
b) Irresponsibility
Moral irresponsibility as failure to respond to the goodness of
persons (Brian Lewis, 2013: 17). This attitude has harmed other people in
the society or in their environment. Because, this attitude does not receive
in the society.This attitude is done because that person is not satisfied with
what they have gotten. This also can be done because of someone’s selfishness. Example, someone is given trustness and other person abused
it. Irresponsibility of Newland Archer when he will marry with May
Welland, but he also fall in love with Ellen Olenska.
2. Discussion
The Age of Innocence (1920) novel by Edith Wharton is a wonderful romance novel and very interesting novel. There is an important thing that
the researcher wants to explain about: characters, setting, theme, plot,
point of view, style of The Age of Innocence (1920) novel. The researcher explains major characters and minor characters. The major characters is
Newland Archer, May welland, and Ellen Olenska. The minor characters
is Mrs. Manson Mingott and Mrs. Augusta Welland. The narrator
described the setting of place in the New York City. The first place at New
York City's fashionable Academy of Music. In this place is opera house
music, and many people together to see music performance. Second at Mrs
Mingott's house, where the pleasantries turn to the family blessing, the
engagement ring for the wedding day, and wedding party. Third at Ellen
olenska’s house. Ellen olenska’s house is rented house "far down West 23rd
Street," in a strange, Bohemian quarter. Fourth at Newland Archer’s house, Newland has dinner with his mother and sister Janey, and he learns that the
Countess visited them while he was away. Newlnd and family meet
is November and four months have passed since Newland last saw Ellen,
who is now living in Washington with her aunt. Sixth at library on East
39th Street.
The narrator uses the traditional plot. The plot consist of exposition,
complication, climax, and resolution. The exposition expalain about story
begins with Newland Archer`s, he is the gentlemen lawyer, hansome, and
rich. The complication explain about conflict is divided into two, namely
internal conflict and external conflict. The climax explain about the climax
of the story happened when back in New York and under renewed pressure
from Newland, Ellen relents and agrees to consummate their relationship.
The resolution explain about when Twenty-six years later, after May's
death, Newland and his son are in Paris. The son, learning that his mother's
cousin lives there, has arranged to visit Ellen in her Paris apartment. The
style that the writer used is very supported the story. It gives strong
characteristic to the character. The narrator uses dialogue and narration by
implemented short and long grammatical structure. The narrator also uses
many figurative languages, and symbols.
Based on the psychoanalytic analysis above, the researcher found
that the main character has a good and bad psychological condition. It when he leave May Welland (his wife) to go together with Ellen Olenska.
When their dinner and over and Newland and May go to the library.
Newland starts to confess once again, but says instead that he needs to go
on a long trip because he is very tired. May explains that the doctor might
not let her go along, and she reveals that she has already told both her
8
After that he is conscious. The researcher had analyze the id, ego, and superego which are reflected on the main character of the novel. The researcher assumed that charecteristic of Newland Archer is irresponsible.
But he also responsible in the end story of The Age of Innocence novel. Whereas our live in the world, we must responsible while doing
something.
D.Conclusion
Based on the analysis in the previous chapter, the researcher would
like to draw some conclusions as follows: First, based on structural
analysis it shows that Edith Wharton delivers moral message in The Age of Innocence novel. The Age of Innocence noveltells about romance conflic story three person. The plot in this story is traditional plot and tells about
Newland Archer is a young lawyer, popular, and handsome. He will be get
married with May Welland but he also fall in love with Ellen Olenska, she
is May Welland sister. Style used in The Age of Innocence novel is standard English language. Standard English is used by the Narrator to
deliver the story to the readers, also the conversation between Newland
Archer with May Welland and Ellen Olenska. The Age of Innocence novel tells about someone who has bad circumstance in her life but she has
positive self-concept to face it. From that reasons she creates the character,
situation, plot like that and overall it is in a set of unit.
Second conclusion, it shows that in Edith Wharton’s The Age of Innocence novel illustrates psychological phenomena in which in individual is someone which initially irresponsible. When he knows that
his responsible is very important for his family, he is conscious. The Age of Innocence novel illustrates psychological phenomena that contained in its story. The story tells Newland Archer which one at the beginning of the
story until half of the story, he is irresponsible to his wife and dishonest.
But in the end of the story, he is conscious that his wife faitful and always
initially Newland Archer irresponsible, but he knows and conscious to be
responsible. Since his wife die, he tried to responsible care for his children
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